1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicles and a system for facilitating ingress and egress to and from the vehicle, and more particularly, to access hand grips adapted for use in connection with enhanced capacity vehicles, (ECVs) such as sport utility vehicles and vans, that have an enlarged cabin area for carrying either more cargo or more passengers than in a conventional sedan.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, ECVs have become increasingly popular. In particular, sport utility vehicles and vans have become extremely popular, as they provide vehicles having sufficient room for comfortably transporting a family and/or cargo. The ECVs are characterized by a large cabin area that extends from the windshield to the rear end of the vehicle where the tailgate (or rear hatch) provides rear access into the cabin. The increase in popularity of these vehicles can be attributed in some measure to their increased passenger carrying capacity when compared to conventional sedans.
Most sedans include two rows of seats, a front row and a rear row. A driver and one or more passengers sit in a first, front row of seats, and additional passengers sit in a second row of seats. Many ECVs also include a third row of seats placed behind the second row. In such a configuration, the first row may be referred to as the front row or seat, the second row may be referred to as the middle row or seat, and the third row may be referred to as the rear row or seat.
ECVs may have a two, three, or four side door configuration. In a two door configuration, the doors are generally aligned with the front row or seat to enable relatively uninhibited ingress and egress into and from the front seat. In a two door vehicle, the front seats are configured generally to be moved forward to enable ingress and egress through the doors into the row of seats behind the front seat. Many ECVs also include one or a pair of rear doors behind the front doors. The rear door or doors are typically aligned with the second or middle row of seats to enable relatively uninhibited ingress and egress into and from the second or middle row of seats. In ECVs having either a third and/or fourth door and having a third or rear row of seats, the second or middle row of seats generally may be moved forward to facilitate passage by the middle row of seats to enter the rear row of seats.
In addition to being configured to carry more passengers and/or cargo than a conventional sedan, a great majority of ECVs include a higher platform than an average sedan. While this provides increased visibility for the driver and also facilitates design and operation of the vehicle, passengers often have more difficulty entering and exiting ECVs. This occurs primarily for two reasons. First, because the ECVs are higher, passengers generally have to step up and lift themselves into the vehicle. Second, when passengers enter the vehicle to sit behind the row of seats which is generally adjacent to the vehicle door through which the passenger enters, the passenger must slide beside the vehicle seat generally adjacent to the door while simultaneously stepping upward, lifting themselves into the vehicle. Similarly, when exiting the vehicle, particularly from a row of seats behind the seats that are adjacent to the door that the passenger is using, the passenger often must move forward through a relatively narrow area while simultaneously stepping down to exit the vehicle. While neither movement is particularly difficult, present vehicles could be better ergonomically configured to assist passengers with the lifting up and stepping down movements and the forward and afterward movements through the vehicle.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to facilitate ingress and egress into and from a vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention to facilitate ingress and egress into and from a row of passenger seats which are located behind a row of passenger seats adjacent to the vehicle door used to access the rearward row of seats.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide access hand grips for use during ingress and egress to and from the vehicle.